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Nu.'6|4,0s2. Patented Nov. l5, |893` F. BURGER.

INTERMITTENT ELECTRIC SURFACE CONDUCTOR.- (Application filed July 23,1897.) lNo Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANZ BURGER, OF FORT WAYNE, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR OF THREE- FOURTHS TOHENRY M. WILLIAMS, OF SAME PLACE.

INTERMITTENT ELECTRIC SURFACE CONDUCTOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 614,082, dated November15, 1898.

Applioanon sled July 23, 1897. Serial No. 645,715. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom, t may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANZ BURGER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Fort Vayne, Allen county, State of Indiana, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Intermittent Electric SurfaceConductors, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to electric railways, and more particularly to thatclass of electric railways in which there is an intermittent electricsurface conductor arranged in proper relation to the tracks, so that asthe trolley or train or car passes over the track the current will besupplied thereto through the intervention of the intermittent electriccontacts with the main feeding-conductor.

The object of my invention is to improve and simplify the constructionof' such electric railways and to overcome the difficulties inherent tothe overhead trolley-wire and the usual form of underground-conduitconstruction, as well as to provide a construction which is applicableto railway-lines already in use, Without the necessity of building eX-pensive conduits. In order to accomplish this and other objects whichwill be apparent to those skilled in the art, my invention consists inthe features of construction substantially as hereinafter moreparticularly set forth.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, wherein I have illustrated apreferred, embodiment of my invention, although it is to be understoodthat my invention is not limited to the precise details of constructionshown, Figure 1 is a transverse section of a railroad embodying myinvention, and Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the same. Fig. 3 isan enlarged detail.

In order to show the simplicity and practicability of my invention, itis illustrated in connection with an ordinary tram or other railway, inwhich A are the cross-ties of the road, on which the rails B B aresecured in the usual manner. Arranged between the rails B B, and in thisinstance bearing di-v rectly upon the cross-ties A, is a Stringer C,which may be secured in any desired manner and which is preferablycovered with asphaltum or some other insulating and preserving ofrubber, and this is secured at its edges t0 the Stringer Lby anysuitable means and forms an intervening space G between thefeedingconductor D and the covering F, and this space may be filled withan elastic fluid-as, for instance, compressed air-which tends tomaintain the covering F out of contact with the conductor. This flexibleelastic covering F is provided with a series of metallic contact-piecesII, which extend through perforations in the covering near itslongitudinal center, and they are arranged at suitable distances apart,so that when the trolley- Wheel T passes over them it will make contactwith one before it leaves the other. These contacts may be of differentshape and construction, but as shown they are provided with flattenedheads on each side of the covering, being connected thereto throughperforations in the covering which are air and water tight.

In order to protect the flexible covering and keep it in place, Iprovide channel-irons I, which, as shown, are of any ordinary commercialform and are arranged on each side of the covering, being secured to theStringer in the present instance by bolts I. These channel-irons arearranged so that they do not meet at the top, but so that there is anarrow slot between them -too small to permit the entrance of anordinary vehicle-Wheel, but large enough to permit the entrance of thetrolley-wheel T. In the present instance the channel-irons bear upon theedges of the dexible covering, which forms of itself a gasket or packingbetween the channel-irons and the Stringer, producing an air and watertight con- IOO nection. The adjacent edges of the channelirons I arepreferably insulated, as shown at fi, in any suitable way to prevent anypossible leakage between the contacts and the trolleywheel, or thetrolley-wheel itself may have insulated sides or be otherwise arrangedto prevent electric contact with the channel-irons.

Tith this construction it will be seen that under normal conditions thecontacts H are supported above the feeding-conductor by the resiliencyor elasticity of the flexible covering, aided or not by an elasticmedium within the covering, and the feeding-conductor is maintainedentirely free from water or other substance which could in any Way causeleakage or danger from the electric current, and there is no possibilityof short-circuiting the same. Vhen, however, the trolley-Wheel T orsimilar device passes through the slot between the adjacent edges of thechannels and bears on the contact-pieces H, they are pressed down incontact with the feeding-conductor as the trolley passes along,conveying current from such feeding-conductor through the contact-piecesto the trolley and the motor on the car, and as soon as thetrolley-wheel passes from a contact-piece it is restored to its normalposition by the resiliency of the covering.

W'hat I claim is- An intermittent electric surface conductor, comprisinga Stringer mounted on the crossties, a feeding-conductor supported onthe Stringer, a flexible covering for the conductor secured to thestringer and having a scries of contact-pieces extending through thecovering, channel-irons arranged on each side of the iiexible coveringand secured to the stringer leaving a slot between their adjacent edges,and insulating material applied to the adjacent edges whereby when thetrolley- Wheel passes through the slot the contactpieces are pressedinto engagement with the feeding-conductor and rise therefrom by theresiliency of the covering, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANZ BURGER.

Vitnesses:

GEo. D. CRANE, F. EVERETT ANDERSON.

